remembering Nidgal Betta

I haven't travelled out of town for the past few months, so the past few weeks I have been posting unpublished photos from my photo archives. This time I happened to pick Nidgal Betta. I'd visited Nidgal Betta on Dec 29th 2014. It was one of the toughest treks in my experience. The three boys from the village made my trip, without them I wouldn't have reached even half way the hill. The hill is wild and one needs to be familiar with the paths to reach the fort and eventually the peak. The trek from the fort ruins to the peak sapped me out. However, the view at the top made me forget my physical state. I have to thank those boys again for indulging a total stranger. Do check out the two part Nidgal Betta trek. And, here are some more photos of the morning.

Nidgal village is situated at the base of Nidgal Betta. The trek passed over the smaller hill, then into a valley and then we went up the main hill. This photo was shot on the smaller hill. You can see a bastion in the foreground, and there's a temple Shkhara next to the bastion. Notice the red patches on the slopes of the bigger hill, those are Gulmohar trees.

This is the temple next to the bastion. I guess this structure is the gateway of the temple. We did not go in due to time constraint.

I guess this is in the valley, looks like we had just left the smaller hill and, entered the slopes of the bigger hill. That seems like a tamarind tree. Notice the turret at the top. Wish I had got a closer look at the turret.

This is one of the many gateways on the bigger hill.

Given the remote location and wild terrain, the ruins have been preserved well.

Remains of a mud-wall. The layers give us an idea of how the wall built- layer by layer. I wonder what's the condition of the wall now i.e. after 12 years.

In the wild terrain it's natural for eyes to catch on to the wonders of Nature. There was a plant with balloon like dry pods. Probably there were tiny seeds in them waiting to be carried far away by winds. Close to the bottom-right of this image is an orange colored insect. I don't remember seeing it then. If I had, there would be a close-up image of that crawly creature.

Leaves cast their shadows on a granite rock. Those shadows are like live artwork at the mercy of Sun, and clouds too. Wonder how the live art looks like during a full moon.

This shot was taken on the crazy climb to the peak. While I rested at the lower end of the slope, my friends had perched on the crest. See how comfortable sitting like Ayappa Swamy. And those shadows are enigmatic.

At the peak of Nidgal Betta is a little temple with an idol of Nandi. At that little temple are two inscriptions. Do check out that temple- Basavanna Gudi and the sights from up there.

On the way back, I caught this tree's shadow on the rock. Notice the curvy shadow cast by the trunk. The trunk, rock surface, angle of Sun light - all have a role in that live art. Or do we call it ghost art because it vanishes eventually.

The first thought on seeing this rock formation was a shoe. A gigantic well used shoe. On this hill was so much to see. The different sights and views at different times of the day and, different seasons too.

The peak in the background and a ruined structure. The ground I was standing on can be considered at half-way up Nidgal Betta. On this small shoulder like formation are rampart walls and a few other structures. This little structure seen here is a temple, inside are relief sculptures and an inscription. An unexpected discovery was a huge cannon made of forged steel. Going by the historical evidences seen here, Nidgal was definitely an important place. For reason, Nidgal lost its prominence and faded away. It's become a hidden gem now.

December being a dry month, we get to see dry grass. Dry but beautiful. The contrast of shadows on shiny grass is a sight to behold.

Here's a portion of the cannon lying in a bed of grass. It seems like a XVI century creation, the types that could be seen at Vijayanagara, Kalburgi, Rayachuru, Golconda forts to name a few.

A gateway in the fortification around the shoulder.

The three sisters holding on their positions for centuries defying gravity.

Lastly, a partly burnt log of wood. This reminds me of a hidden shelter on the way to Basavanna Gudi. It was a one chamber shelter below a massive boulder. Whoever made it had constructed two walls with dressed stone blocks and mud. The interior had mud flooring. It could comfortably shelter a couple of adults. It was ideal for anyone who wanted to stay away for a while. It's not a secret hideout or something but it was like middle of nowhere.

Now, after typing out these lines, my heart yearns to visit Nidgal again.

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stories of Ramayana at Hazara Rama Devastana

Further to the post dedicated to the sculptures of Sharavan Kumar at Hazara Rama Devastana, I revisited the pictures again and felt like sharing pictures of two more walls there. Being a temple dedicated to Sri Rama, the builders decorated the temple with sculptures depicting stories from the epic Ramayana.

The middle image in the bottom row is the scene of king Dasharatha giving the divine payasam to his three queens Kausalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. The divine payasam was a product of a Yagna for progeny. After the rituals a bowl of payasam was gifted by the gods to Dasharatha who in turn distributed among his queens. We all know that later four sons were born- Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana & Shatrugna.

The bottom row leftmost image should be of Dasharatha, the four princes and Guru Vasishta, the princes teacher. The rightmost image must be the scene of Dasharatha performing the Yagna.

Moving up to the middle row, the three images are from Aranyakhand, the part of Ramayana where Rama is in exile for fourteen years. The leftmost image is the scene of Bharatha meeting Rama,  Sita & Lakshmana in the forest. The middle image shows Lakshmana leading the way for Rama & Sita in a forest path. The rightmost is the scene of Lakshmana defending Rama & Sita from Shurpanakhi the Rakshasa woman who was infatuated by Rama's charm.

On to the top row where the mages are smaller. The middle one seems like Rama meeting Hanuman, or Sugreeva. The rightmost seems like Vali & Tara.

In this picture, the bottom left image is the scene of Rama breaking Shiva's bow Pinaka while trying to string it. This incident happens at Sita's home. Anyone seeking to marry Sita had to string Pinaka was her father king Janaka's condition. So Rama while trying to string the bow breaks it which proved his strength and marries Sita.

The bottom-middle image seems like sage Vishwamitra asking Dasharatha to send Rama & Lakshmana along with him to protect his Yagna from Rakshasa attacks. Dasharatha unwillingly agrees fearing Vishwamitra's anger. Despite being young and inexperienced, Rama & Lakshmana fight bravely and successfully protect Vishwamitra's Yagna ceremony. The bottom-right image is the scene of the battle between the princes & rakshasas.

In the middle row, it's a couple of rakshasa soldiers. Unsure of the characters of the archery duel. On the right it seems like Rama, Sita & Lakshmana.

The top row are scenes from the Ashoka garden in Ravana's Lanka. In the left is the scene of Hanuman meeting Sita while in captivity at Ashoka Garden. The middle and right images are the scenes of Hanuman fighting rakshasa soldiers and destroying a huge part of Ravana's palace garden.

So much for this week.

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Rickshaw Run Autos

This is a 9yo memory of seeing two gaily painted autorickshaws at Sabala Heritage Home, Vijayapura on Aug 18th 2017. Pushpa and I were traveling from Dharwad to Hyderabad, on the way we had stopped to see two historical monuments of Vijayapura. We had entered the historical city from the southern side and stopped to see the huge cannon named Landa Kasab Tope. Then we headed to the northern edge of the town to see the canon on Aldi Buruj. Unfortunately the tower was not tourist friendly, there was no way to climb the tower without the help of ladders. Also it was almost dusk, darkness was setting in. I moved up to a slightly elevated ground and got a glimpse of the canon which is quite long. We were tired and just wanted to find a lodge for the night. I guess we found a place just outside the city limits, a lodge situated inside a farm called Sabala Heritage Home.

We liked the heritage home's ambiance instantly. The hosts, lady owner and her colleagues, were friendly. Our first floor rooms had a view of neighboring fields, the only sounds we heard were insects. We had had lemon-grass tea and freshened up. The dining was on the ground floor. Menu was jolada rotti oota which included salad and sweets. Food prepared by village ladies was home food, no other word or phrase to describe it. There were a few other guests and their presence was hardly felt. We hit the sack early and woke up early to start the journey towards Hyderabad.

We chatted with the owner and found that she had good knowledge about plants. She grew vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers and other crops. One of the herbs was a five in one spice. When we sniffed at the crushed leaf we got aromas of clove, pepper, cinnamon.. can't remember the other two. After the pleasant chat we said our byes and headed to the parking area where found two gaily painted autorickshaws. A group of young western foreigners were on a tour of India. Journeys would be slow but they weren't in a hurry, I guess.

On this flaming rickshaw was poster with website address rickshawrun.com which redirected to The Adventurist. Until now I never knew that touring in rickshaws was a craze among western tourists, particularly in Rajasthan. Do check out the website, it's big phenomena at another level.

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a few relief sculptures at Chitradurga Kote

There are a few places which require more than one visit to see the place in detail. For example- Aihole, Badami and Hampi. These places have multiple monuments spread around a large area hence it requires multi-day trip or multiple visits. Now, one other place place that requires multiple visits is Chitradurga fort. I say that because the fort itself encompasses several hills, valleys and countless rock formations. And within that rugged terrain are several monuments built over centuries. In the past it was like a town within the fort having gateways, turrets, bastions, pathways, water tanks, canal system, a gun powder mill, oil tanks, temples, a mint, palaces, barracks, and maybe prison too. Apparently there was a stage for cultural events. So far I've visited Chitradurga fort 3 times yet a lot remains to be seen. Also, the time of the day is important to get glare-free pictures and to not tire out quickly. Early mornings would be ideal. One can get good shots in late afternoon light but one must be prepared to tolerate the heat radiating from the rocks. All my visits were late morning to little past noon. Here are few pictures from my last visit that's in March 2014.

A relief sculpture shrine dedicated to Shiva, Parvati and Nandi. Small are the sculptures but the details are admirable. Notice the Kirtimukha on the arches. The Shivalinga arch is damaged hence the Kirtimukha is not there.

The Hoysala emblem depicted by this warrior-lion duel. I guess this sculpture dates back to Hoysala period. Below the emblem is a pair of elephants, they too seem to be engaged in a fight. On the right is another sculpture of a warrior astride a horse with a weapon raised up. This seems like a memorial of some battle.

A fish couple. Relief sculptures of fishes, tortoises, lizards, elephants and other creatures can be seen at monuments of Hoysala and Vijayanagara period. This reminds me of relief sculptures at the temple complex on Vindhyagiri at Shravanabelegola, Malyavanta Raghunataha Devatsana, Krishnadevaraya memorial at Anegundi and Veerabhadra Devastana at Lepakshi. These are just a few examples.

Then we have another fish pair facing in opposite directions.

Another fish couple. A woman squatting on a platform. Usually this sculpture is seen on outer walls of temples.

A niche in one of the massive walls. It could be a few inches high, max one foot high. This is about nine to ten feet from the ground level. Wondering what the purpose was.

Unlike the previous niche with the rounded top, here's another niche with a pointed top. This too is about eight to nine feet above the ground.

Next we have an unintended sculpture created by the impact of a canon ball fired into the fort. I heard that there are many more impact marks on other parts of the fort. I must look for them during my next visit.

Lastly, a life-size sculpture of a woman offering her Namaskara. I have no idea who this idol depicts. Is it a Hindu goddess or a member of one of the royal families that ruled Chitradurga. The idol is being worshipped to this day, so it is of importance. Must discover the details.

Let me end this post here. For the next week's post I have thoughts of posting a few more unpublished pictures of fortifications & rock formations.

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reflections at Kankumbi

These pictures of Sri Ramlingeshwara Swami Gudi pond were shot on Feb 28, 2014. For some reason I had not posted them in that day's post Kankumbi, birthplace of Malaprabha Nadi. It was at the end of a a warm sultry day. The pond surface was so still that it looked like a mirror and reflected the walls, sky and everything else in between.

The temple was surrounded by barren paddy fields. A big tree and a bamboo cluster next to the pond added charm to the picture.

This one looks like a water color painting as it is, meaning the picture is unaltered except for being resized. If not for the one floating yellow leaf this would've been the perfect picture of the day.

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Fern house, Cubbon Park

These pictures were shot on March 21 2020, the day before Covid-19 lockdown. My high school friend Anil and I met at Cubbon Park's Corporation Circle gate for an early morning walk. The sights brought back primary school memories... when I was in VII standard, our class had represented our school in the year's Kannada Rajyotsava function at Kantirava Stadium. After the function we had walked into Cubbon Park and found a spot to rest around this very place. Back then the paved foot-path wasn't there.

The little red structure was a kind of nursery to as I remember. There was a collection of potted plants including hanging pots.

On Google Maps this structure is marked as Fern House. Probably this was once a fern nursery hence the name. As you see it's basically a mantapa with mesh screens on it's sides. Once could call it a greenhouse too.

Anil and I approach the greenhouse for a closer look. On the grill framework was a cover of creepers. On these platforms were rows of potted plants, can't remember what plants but surely it would be show plants.

There still are flowering creepers here. I think it was Anil who noticed the engraved slab on the lintel.

That's the inscription, it's in Kannada which reads as: ಸುಂದರ ನಗರ ಗೌರಿ ಮಂದಿರಂ ~ Sundara Nagara Gowri Mandiram. Also there's a date.. 23-3-1___ ..the year's numerals are unclear. I feel this is a XIX Century structure so the year could be 1884 CE. The name raises a question if this was a temple originally. Quite possibly yes. On the other side of the road is an active shrine named Sri Dakshinamurthi Devastana.

Close to the fern house is a tree with a kinky trunk. The formation is unique, never had I seen such a trunk. Wondering what caused the tree to take that form.

After a relaxing walk, we headed to Kantirava Stadium, not for sport but for snacks. There's a self-service eatery within the stadium premises which is not crowded at this time of the day. We chatted and snacked for a while and headed home. For the next month and half the entire country was locked down to contain the spread of Covid-19. A totally new experience for the urban world.

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Shilpavana, Kannada University - part 4

The only visit to Kannada Vishwavidyalaya, Hampi was in December 2013. We had spent a couple of hours at the campus appreciating artworks, both ancient and contemporary. Most of the ancient art was displayed in the colonnades of at the library building Akshara. Contemporary art was spread around the natural settings of the campus. Though it was a memorable experience I somehow could not visit the university again despite going to Hampi / Anegundi several times. Anyway, here are a few pictures shot in 2013 which weren't published earlier.

As I know artworks did not have names displayed with them so I named as saw them. This is my uncle M S Patil looking at an assembly of stones which appears like one single unit. The sculpture stands on the road close to the campus university. In the background is the library building.

On my left hand side was a building housing the offices of Directorate of Distance Education. The structure is a fusion of ancient and present designs.

Our next stop was at the library. The building's central tower is an imitation of temple Gopura / Shikhara crown. The long staircase gives a nice look to the building. It's a great place for shooting pictures, individual or group.

An ancient idol of Nandi facing the northern direction adorns the first landing. Wondering if there's a Shivalinga in Nandi line of sight.

At the end of the staircase, at the library floor level is a pair of cannons placed on pedestals. As I know, these are the only two cannons in the entire campus.

Around the library is a colonnade in which ancient sculptures are exhibited. It's like an open air museum. Of the several dozen sculptures, I took shots of just a few which I regret now.

Here we have two Jaina sculptures and one LakshmiNarayana. These seem like sculptures of the Hoysala period.

Here's a standing form of Vishnu, a sitting Ganapati and a Thirtanara. These two seem like Hoysala time creations.

Another Thirtankara with an expression of bliss. Someone took the liberty of drawing Tripundraka - that's a symbolic merging of Jaina and Lingayath beliefs.

This one seems like a sculpture of Vijayanagara period. And it seems like a sculpture of Sri Krishnadevaraya astride a horse and accompanied by three men, bearers of the royal flag, umbrella and a fan. At the top is a Kirtimukha, the face to dispel evil eyes.

Here's another beautiful sculpture of a warrior defeating a soldier in a fight. The warrior, seemingly of royal blood is holding a spear and his assistant is holding an umbrella. The umbrella bearer seems out of place considering the situation but then it may not be appropriate to show a king without the regal paraphernalia. My guess is this sculpture was made in memory of victory in some battle.

On one end of the colonnade are a couple of inscription slabs. 

Then we have a wooden temple chariot called 'theru' in Kannada. The chariot must have been retrieved from one of the ancient temples at Hampi. This is an example of a small chariot. Major temples have really massive chariots with huge wheels which require hundreds of people to get them rolling. With this our tour of library museum ends.

From the library we went deeper into the campus. Here's one eye-catching painting. This is Shiva for sure. To be specific, it seems like a depiction of Veerabhadra, a form of Shiva.

Then we enter the garden of sculptures Shilpavana. That's Mama trying to understanding what the sculpture means.

Before I end this post I urge to take a look at the sculptures of Shilpavana, really creative stuff from budding artists.

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